As sunbeams pierce the storm clouds over Latvia’s coastline, the US navy Seabees are building the boat ramps that may one day be needed to counter a Russian invasion.
“Run the tape, fellahs,” cries out Capt Allen Willey, the Seabees’ commanding officer, as his seamen measure up a wire grid inside the ramp. “It’s like a game of hopscotch.”
The veteran of four decades takes a closer look at the precise 11-degree incline of the ramp, used for offloading troops, vessels and military vehicles. His sailors brace for his verdict. Then his hard features break into a boyish smile. “Love it.”
